Infant&#39;s crib



ug- 1948- B. B. LINEBERRY ET AL 2,448,317

INFANTS CRIB Filed Sept. 27, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IOlLl/VG B. Ill/[BERRY GAR/ 775 EIMMICOME mg, 31, 1948. a. B. LINEBERRY ET AL 2,448,317

INFANT S CRIB Filed Sept. 27, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ROLL/1V6 8. LII/[BERRY GAR/V577 E. AWAMSCOME @mwigma W, m WW5.

Patented Aug. 31, 1948 INFANTS CRIB Bolling B. Lineberry and Garnett E. Branscome, Hampton, Va.

Application September 27, 1944, Serial No. 556,035

2 Claims. 1

Our invention relates to an infants crib or the like, and has particular reference to a crib of the type in which one or more of the side panels of the crib is vertically slidable so that it may be lowered from a normal, confining position to a lower, non-confining position to permit the infant to be moved to and from the crib and to permit the parent, nurse or other attendant to feed, bathe or otherwise care for the infant.

Infants cribs of the aforesaid type are old and well known in the art, but such cribs possess numerous inherent disadvantages of construction and operation which impose undue burdens upon the person or persons attending the infant within the crib. For example, in the conventional crib of the type specified, the spring and mattress are disposed at a relatively low level which necessitates considerable stooping and bending on the part of the parent, nurse or other attendant when it becomes necessary to move the infant to and from the crib, or to feed, bathe or otherwise care for, or attend, the infant; It would be highly impractical and unsafe to permanently dispose the spring and mattress of an infants crib at a higher level than that encoun tered in a conventional crib and, hence, parents, nurses and other attendants of infants have for years tolerated this inconvenient and tiresome stooping and bending.

It is therefore an object of our present invention to provide an infants crib in which. the spring and mattress are normally disposed at the usual level encountered in conventional cribs, and to provide means whereby the spring and mattress may be moved to a high, more convenient, level when it is desired to move the infant to or from the crib or to feed, bathe or otherwise at tend the infant, to thus avoid the inconvenient and tiresome stooping or bending usually encountered in connection with conventional cribs.

It is a further object of our present invention to provide an infants crib in which the mattresssupporting spring is vertically movable within the crib from a normal or low position to an upper or high position, and to associate with said mattress-supporting spring novel means forv effecting vertical movements of the mattress-supporting spring and for guiding the same during such movements.

It is a further object of our present invention to provide an infants crib in which the mattresssupporting spring is vertically movable within the crib and in Whichat least one of the side panels of the crib is vertically slidable, and to so connect the said mattress-supporting spring with the said vertically slidable panel that when the said panel is moved downwardly in a vertical direction from its normal or upper position, said mattress-supporting spring will be moved upwardly to a convenient level, the construction and operation being such that upward sliding movement of the side panel of the crib will permit the return of the mattress-supporting spring to its normal position.

It is a further object of our present invention to provide an infants crib of the above referred to character in which the vertically slidable side panel of the crib is connected to the mat tress-supporting spring in a manner such that the lowering of the panel in a vertical direction from its upper, confining position to its lower, non-confining position, will automatically elevate the said mattress-supporting spring, and wherein the raising of said panel in a vertical direction to its normal upper or confining position Will automatically lower said mattresssupporting spring.

It is a further object of our invention to provide an infants crib of the above referred to character in which means are associated with the vertically-slidable panel to lock said panel in its upper and lower positions, the arrangement being such that the locking of said panel in its lowermost position will maintain the mattresssupporting spring at a convenient level where the parent, nurse or other attendant may readily care for the infant within the crib 'without the necessity of stooping or bending.

It is a still further object of our present invention to provide an infants crib of the above referred to character which is simple in construction and operation, strong and durable, cheap and easy to manufacture, and highly efficient in the purposes for which designed.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and wherein for the purpose of illustration we have shown several preferred embodiments of our invention:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an infants crib showing the side panel locked in its upper, confining position and the mattress-supporting spring in its lower, normal position,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the side panel locked in its lower, non confining position and the mattress-sup porting spring in its upper position, this figure including a fragmentary showing of the mattress,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary perspective View of a slightly modified form of crib embodying the featuresof our present invention,

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the crib of our present invention,

Figs. 5 and 6 are fragmentary views in side elevation and partly in section, and in perspective, respectively, of details of the locking and latching means for retaining the side panel in its upper and lower positions, and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating in" detail the mechanism 1 disposed .be-

tween the mattress-supporting spring and the vertically slidable front panel whereby the said spring will be raised and lowered in accordance with the vertical movements imparted to thesaid panel.

In the accompanying drawings whereinhlika reference numerals have been employed to designate like parts throughout the several views, the numeral l designates the-headsection of the crib and the numeral 2 designates the foot guide rod or member comprisin a flat strip of metal having a short horizontally-extending portion H and a vertically-extending portion l2, the lower end of which vertical'portion extends through an aperture in a bracket i3 secured to thelower, inner surface of each of the front corner posts' l. The inner edge of each of the said guide rods ormembers is provided with correspondingly spaced and positioned notches l4 and i5. A vertically slidable front panel is provided and includes horizontally-disposed bar members it and I! connected by spaced upright bar members It, the-opposite end portions of the said bars I6 and H being slotted to permit passage therethrough when the crib is being assembled and during the use of the crib, of the vertically extending portions E2 of theguide rods ormembers above described, the arrangement beingsuch that-the said front panel is freely slidable along, and is guided by, .said rods or members duringvertical sliding-movements of said panelfrom a lower position to an upper position to be hereinafter described. The corner posts 3 and 4 of the head and foot sections l and 2, respectively, are preferably covered with an outer panel of sheet material l9 and the upper edgesof said head and foot sections are covered bya box-like casing-20, .as clearly shown in Figs. '1 and-2, it being noted that in this form of'the'invention the inner opposed walls of the said box-like casing-are spaced from the'inner surfaces of the cornerposts 3 and 4. In the modified form-of the invention shown in Fig. 3, each of thehead and foot sections includes a short, horizontally-extending top wall 2t and an inner panel 22- disposed in parallel spaced relation-to the outer panel I 9 and from the inner surfaces of the-corner posts 3 and 4, and having therein spaced, vertically (positioned slots 23 and 24 fora purpose to -be hereinafter described .As'a means for latching or looking the vertically-slidable front panel of the crib in its-upper or lower positions, we secure a casing 25 at each end of the bar 17, each of which casings is provided-with horizontally alined apertures through which extend a bolt 26 normally'urged to an outer orextended positi0n=by means-of a tension spring 21 disposed between one end of the casing and a shoulder or abutment 28 on each of the bolts 25, the said bolts, when in their normal, projected positions, being adapted to engage within either the upper notches [4 or the lower notches l5 on the inner, opposed edges of the sections l2 of the guide rods or members above described. Each of the bolts 28 has its inner end connected by a Wire or rod 29 which extends inwardly along the lower edge of the bar I! and is hooked into an aperture in a latch operating member 30 pivotally mounted on a screw or stud 3| secured to the lower edge of the bar IT. The operating member 30 includes a depending handengaging portion 32.

It'will be apparent from the above description when considered in connection with Figs. 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings, that when the latch operating member 353 is rotated by the handengaging portion 32 in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Figs. 1, 2 and 6, the wires or rods 29 will be moved inwardly and will retract the bolts 2% against their springs 21, which action will disengage the outer ends of the bolts from contact within the notches It or I5, to permit'vertical sliding movement of the front panel of the crib.

The crib of our present invention includes a rectangular spring 33 of any desired or preferred construction, which spring, as is the usual cus-' tom, is adapted to support a mattress 34. The spring 33' is supported, when in its lower, normal position, on the horizontal sections of spaced L-shaped brackets 35, attached to the inner surfaces of the lower cross bars 6 of the head and foot sections of the crib, each of these brackets being provided with :a centrally-located aperture to receive a vertically-disposed guide bar 36 secured to and depending from the end frame members of the spring. Hence, the vertical movements of the spring within the crib are guided by the bars 36 passing through the apertured brackets 35.

As above set forth, it is an important feature of our present invention to provide mechanism extending between the mattress e supporting spring and the vertically slidable front panel, whereby the said spring will be raised and lowered in accordance with the vertical movements imparted to the said panel. To accomplish this, we connect each end of the spring 33 to the vertically movable front panel by means of suitable flexible wires or cables which pass over pulleys and transmit the movement of the panel to the spring. As clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, we mount a doublegrooved pulley 3'! at the upper front portion of thehead and foot sections of thehcrib, and a single-grooved pulley 38 at the upper rear portion of each of said sections. A'flexible wire or cable 39 has one end secured to the end of the bar I6 'of the front panel, extends upwardly and over one ofthe grooves in the pulley 31 and then passes downwardly where its end is rigidly secured to the end frame ofthe spring 33. A second flexible wire or cable 40 has one end secured -to the end of the bar 16 closely adjacent the point of attachment of the cable 39, and extends upwardly and over the other groove on the pulley 31, rearwardly of the crib, over the pulley 38 and downwardly whence its end is rigidly secured to the end frame of the spring 33 at a point spaced from the point of attachment of the wire or cable 39. It will be understood that the cable and pulley arrange-. ment above described is associated-with each end of the crib and spring, and that the lengths of the wires or cables 39 and 49 are such that when the sprin 33 rests on the brackets 35 the vertically movable front panel occupies its upper, confining position in which it is securely locked or latched by engagement of the bolts 26 with the notches M. In the form of our invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the ends of the Wires or cables 39 and 40 are attached directly to the end frame members of the spring 33, but in the slightly modified form shown in Fig. 3 said ends are attached to spaced lugs or brackets 41 which extend outwardly from the ends of said frame members and are adapted to move vertically within the slots 23 and 24 in the inner end panels 22. In the form of our invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the pulleys 3'! and 38 are covered or protected by the casing 29, while in the form shown in Fig. 3, these pulleys are protected by the top walls 2| and inner panels 22.

Referring now to the operation of the improved crib of our present invention, and assuming that the parts thereof occupy the positions illustrated in Fig. 1, the portion 32 of the latch operating mechanism 39 is moved in a counterclockwise direction about its pivot pin 3! which pulls the wires or rods 29 inwardly as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 6, and withdraws the bolts 26 from engagement with the notches M. The

front panel is forced downwardly in a vertical direction until the bolts 26 are forced by their springs 2'! into the notches 15, at which time the front panel is securely locked in its lowermost position. During the aforesaid vertical downward movement of the front panel, the flexible 5,

Fig. 2, where the level of the mattress coincides substantially with the level of the upper edge of the vertically slidable front panel. When it is desired to return the parts of the crib to their normal positions, the latch operating member 30 is again actuated to release the bolts 26 from ent gagement with the notches l5 whereupon the spring 33 and mattress 34 will move downwardly to a position of rest on the brackets 35, and the front panel will move upwardly in a vertical direction until the bolts 26 again engage within the r notches I4. True vertical movements of the spring and mattress are assured by virtue of the sliding engagement of the guide rods 36 with the apertured brackets 35.

It will thus be seen that we have provided an infants crib in which the mattress-supporting spring and the mattress thereon, can be moved to a level where the infant may be conveniently placed in or removed from the crib, or may be fed, bathed or otherwise cared for without inconvenient and tiresome bending or stooping by the parent, nurse or other attendant.

It is to be understood that the several forms of our invention shown and described herein are to be taken as preferred examples of the same, but

that various changes may be made in the size, shape and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of our invention or the scope of the subjoined. claims.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In an infants crib and the like, a side panel vertically slidable to and from upper confining and lower non-confining positions, a mattresssupporting spring within the crib and movable to and from normal low and higher positions within said crib, pulleys rotatably mounted on each end of the crib above the mattress-supporting spring therein, and flexible connections between said panel and spring at each end of the crib, each of said connections extending upwardly from said panel over the pulley at that end of the crib, and downwardly to said spring whereby downward vertical movement of said panel will move said spring from its normal low position to its higher position and upward vertical movement of said panel will permit said spring to return to its normal low position within the crib.

2. In an infants crib and the like, a side panel vertically slidable from an upper confining position to a lower non-confining position, a mattress-supporting spring supported at a normal low level in the crib, flexible cables at each end of the crib and attached at one of their ends to the spring and at their opposite ends to said panel, and a pulley rotatably mounted on each end of the crib and above the spring therein, the cable at each end of said spring passing upwardly from the spring and over said pulley and downwardly to its connection with the side panel, whereby vertical sliding movement of said panel in a downward direction from its upper confining position to its lower non-confining position will pull on said cables to move them over said pulleys to elevate said spring from its normal low level to a higher level within the crib.

BOLLING B. LINEBERRY. GARN'ETT E. BRANSCOME.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,043,701 Hornsby Nov. 5, 1912 1,199,261 Friedman Sept. 26, 1916 1,216,438 Ginn Feb. 20, 1917 1,449,046 James Mar. 20, 1923 1,884,552 Bradley Oct. 25, 1932 1,992,733 Bayer Feb. 26, 1935 2,262,643 McNabb Nov. 11, 1941 2,299,136 Feldman Oct. 20, 1942 2,326,379 McNabb Aug. 10, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 17,916 Great Britain 1914 117,742 Great Britain Aug. 1, 1918 

